Dong Po Colonial Cafe @ Kandahar Street

Dong Po Colonial Cafe

56 Kandahar Street 

Singapore 198904

(nearest MRT: Bugis)

opening hours: 

10am to 10pm daily

It was fortunate for us to chance upon this cozy little place while making our way towards vintage delicafe (which turned out to be closed, so I'll write about it when I get to eat there in future!). The black signboard that said: freshly baked SCONES drew me into the shop because i ABSOLUTELY love scones. And I definitely didn't regret the visit at all. 

They served lots of pasteries from cupcakes (with cream and deco on it for less than $2), cornish chicken pie, biscuits, tarts, LOTS OF COOL STUFF. And i forgot a shot of it:( will do it the very next time I get there!!

The best part of this cafe was the elegance, comfort and good food comes at an unreasonably cheap price! I got a scone set and an almond macaroon for $5. WHERE ELSE CAN YOU FIND A DEAL LIKE THAT IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT?! This cafe has officially become my favourite.

The interior of the shop was nicely renovated and beneath the tabletops were items from Singapore during the colonial times. The area was spacious and cooling, perfect for an afternoon tea if your legs get too tired from shopping at Haji Lane or sightseeing along Arab Street!

Almond macaroon: The top is crisp, the inside bottom crust tastes like a perfect egg-tart crust but with  a chewy, sugary, cotton-candy-like-tasting inside. In other words, if you have a sweet tooth, it is PERFECT. 

The scone (with fresh cream and homemade jam -strawberry, marmalade or lemon) came with teh/kopi at a very affordable $3.30. The scone was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside with a heavenly buttery taste. The only downside was that I think they microwaved the scone to heat it up so as it cooled down the texture of the scone because slightly chewy. Nonetheless, it was really really REALLY good. The teh was also really fragrant and not too sweet, balancing off the scone really well. 

So these, plus a teh, for only $5!!! 

//edit: I went back to check more pastries out :)

The one in the middle: three-hole cookie: $1.70
The one on the right: almond finger: $1.70

The Three-hole cookie lies on the buttery side. If you leave it overnight on a piece of kitchen towel, a lot of the oil will be absorbed. Having said that, the taste of the cookie is not compromised by having it left overnight on the kitchen towel. The jam-filled center are slightly tangy, off-setting the buttery taste and making it light for the palate. I love it for breakfast when I am rushing for work.

The almond finger lies on the sweet side, with its crisp meringue-like topping on a butter finger. With the recommendation of the owner, I paired the almond finger with kopi-o, which was thick, aromatic and not too sweet (the way I like it). This combination makes a perfect tea-time snack before getting back to the office. 

Ayam Penyet Ria @ Far East Plaza

Ayam Penyet Ria 

Far East Plaza #05-22

Opening hours: 11.30am to 10pm

We visited the restaurant on a weekday evening (around 6.30pm) and we had to wait for a couple of minutes before seats were emptied. The queue continued to form as we proceeded with the meal but if you want a short summary: don't even bother queuing for it. 

With regards to service, the staff were extremely unfriendly. They did not smile at customers, and entirely ignored customers when they said 'thank you'. 

The gado-gado ($5.90) was served with overboiled cabbage and long beans, and the tomato in it was stale such that I could taste that it was already turning bad. The sauce tasted alright, but the whole dish tasted like it was made with leftover vegetables. 

The signature Ayam Penyet was only worth its reputation for the chilli. The chilli was very fragrant and nice. However, the chicken served was dry and the batter on it was not even crispy. The meat within also tasted like it has been re-cooked after being kept for a long period of time. 

I wouldn't dare conclude this about other branches, but there are far better Ayam Penyets to try (like the one at Seah Im food center or Plaza Singapura's Kopitiam) with better price, taste and value. We were extremely disappointed by the standard of food and service provided at an establishment with quite a number of branches.

//edit: I decided to give the branch at Lucky Plaza (#04-25) a shot and the food and service was so much better! The batter was crisp, the vegetables were fresh and the chicken was tender. The difference in the standard cannot be overstated. Since the two branches are so close to each other, go for the Lucky Plaza one.

Enak Enak Hongkong Tea House @ Simpang Bedok

Enak Enak Hongkong Tea House




















342 Bedok Road
Simpang Bedok
469524

opening hours: 10am to 6am

Simpang Bedok Houses a variety of eateries that Singaporeans often visit for their supper. Amongst which lies this restaurant which serves Halal Dim Sum!

We visited the establishment on a Saturday night around 8.30pm. Although it was already full, we were promptly directed to a table. Despite the fact that they were almost full, the outdoor seating area was sufficiently ventilated and comfortable enough for us to enjoy our meal. 

They serve a huge variety of food including Thai, Western, Indian and Chinese/Hongkong cuisines. The food items were reasonably prices and the staff were extremely friendly, making our experience at the place even more pleasant. The range of dimsum they served were rather limited, but if you are looking for the basic ones like siewmai, xiao long bao, har gao, charsiew bun, lotus glutinous rice, they definitely have it on the menu.

Chee cheong fun with shrimps. This steamed rice roll (hong kong style) was well seasoned and the shrimps in it were fresh and succulent. The texture of the rice rolls was soft, but the surfaces stuck together and they were slightly to the mushy side. Overall, it was still quite nice:)

We were really disappointed by the liu sha bao. Although the salted egg yolk taste was excellent and fragrant, the filling was to the hard side and nothing flowed out (refer to the next picture), which is usually the best part of the liu sha bao!

We were extremely curious to find out how the Xiao long bao tasted, because it was made with chicken instead of pork. The xiao long bao had juice on the inside (one of the most important factors!) and it was definitely tasty enough! however, the skin of the xiao long bao was slightly too thick for its standards. nevertheless, it is a good option if you are looking at halal dim sum!

We also ordered the horfun to try. if you noticed it was a vegetarian version of it which the staff very amicably agreed to  helping us make! The signature wok hei of a hor fun was definitely present. The serving was HUGE, but it was slightlyyyy sweet which I didn't like (but some prefer it this way!)

Overall, our visit to the restaurant was pleasant, the food was reasonably priced with generous serving, the staff was friendly, the environment was friendly and if you want to bring your Muslim friends to try out Dim Sum, it is definitely representative enough of what Dim Sum should be :)

Chocolate Origin @ 313

Chocolate Origin

313 Orchard Road

#B3-10A Singapore 238895

Opening Hours: 

1000 to 2130 daily

If you haven't tried this, PLEASE DO. My sister ordered the 6-inch dark chocolate cake for $36. All I can say is: if you're a chocolate lover, you can't give this a miss. We went for the dark chocolate one because my parents prefer that. It was chocolatey rich, it was moist, it was nice. 

The branch at 313 also served chocolate lava cake with ice-cream for $5 (or $6, i can't remember!). I have yet to try it, but it is on my agenda and I'll let you guys know how it turns out! 

I loved how the 'Happy Birthday to You" label is so colorful and is just a simple cardboard: a lot more environmentally friendly than the plastic ones they usually give and are disposed off. 

The sponge cake was alternated with the generous chocolate mousse which was rich but not heavy because it was less sweet. The sponge cake itself was very soft (but not too airy) and moist, while the mousse was light on the stomach although not lacking in its richness and taste. 

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Beanstro @ Takashimaya

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - Beanstro
391 Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City #B1-37
Singapore 238872

Opening Hours: 

0800 to 2300 Daily

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has recently set up its first bistro restaurants in Takashimaya and Marina Bay Sands! On a side note, I absolutely love how the place has been aptly named 'Beanstro'.

More importantly, it is one of the rare places which served Eggs Benedict and is halal-certified! I have been dying to let the Malay boyfriend try how my all-time favourite tastes like and I was thrilled to find out that Beanstro served its Classic Eggs Benedict for $17++.

The establishment actually serves a wide range of food including salads, sandwiches, all-day breakfasts, mains, desserts and of course, all of The Coffee Bean's signature drinks. We went on a weekday evening when it was almost full. Service was relatively fast, but the waiters/waitresses were slightly unfriendly and were not at all apologetic for serving us a wrong drink.

At $17++, the Classic Eggs Benedict has been served with salad tossed in citrus dressing. The generous serving of turkey ham  was really fragrant without being overly salty which usually comes with having too much ham. The broad was toasted with butter to a perfect crisp and taste. The only downside was that the hollandaise sauce seemed to be lacking in its lemon juice which made the whole dish very heavy. Overall, it was still one of the better Eggs Benedicts i've ever tried. 

For $18++, the serving of the lasagna was enormous. The bolognaise sauce itself was light and taste, with sweetness from both the beef and tomato that made the dish very delightful initially. While the dish was hot, the cheese (perhaps a bit too much of it) and the pasta complemented the sauce well. However, as the meal went on, the pasta sheet began to harden and it felt more like eating a raw potato instead, making it progressively hard to down. Finish it fast if you want the meal to be nice throughout. 

  Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and we would love to return to try mains like the steak which have been reviewed to be delicious. For the two dishes above and a Frozen Lemonade drink, we paid around $50.

Project Hello Stranger

A couple of months back there has been this article on Straits Times which reported that Singaporeans are emotionless and unhappy. And afterwards there was a debate that was sparked off, featuring different initiatives by Singaporeans which shows that Singaporeans are not emotionless.

One of these initiatives included Project Hello Stranger. They launched off their campaign with guerilla tactics, and I think the video would tell you more about what they did: 

Basically, this group of Singaporeans hope that they are able to spread a simple message: that Singaporeans could be friendlier to one another, even among strangers. For example, greeting fellow joggers, complimenting someone's dress along the streets, or simply striking a conversation with a stranger!

They even took the effort to wake up on a weekday morning to cheer people up!

Well, why am I telling you all these??

Because, they are launching a new project and are recruiting volunteers for it!! It is definitely heartwarming to see them blasting emails on a Sunday afternoon, when most of us (including myself) are lazing away. 

To find out more about them, you could visit their facebook page. and if you're REALLY excited about joining them on their upcoming project (see screenshot below for details), do email them at

project.hello.stranger@gmail.com

I'm sure they'll be more than glad to meet new friends, and so will you!! 

Food For Thought @ Botanical Gardens

Food for Thought
1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Tanglin Gate, #B1-00, S259569
F: +65 6479 1080


Opening Hours (WEF 1st January 2013):
Mon - Sun
8am to 9pm
(Last orders at 8.30pm)

Food for Thought is well known as a social enterprise in Singapore, and honestly that is quite rare. They have 5 missions which they stand by:

Customers are encouraged to donate $2 for a free flow of plain water to which they can help themselves to during the meal, and proceeds go to Living Water International

A proportion of Food For Thought's profits proceed to support the  United Nations World Food Programme. For $20, Food For Thought helps to support one child for a month.

In support of World Vision, Food For Thought supports their sponsored children by improving overall development of their community's access to water, basic healthcare, education, nutrition and financial independence.

So curiosity drove our visit to the Food For Thought restaurant at Botanical Gardens. It is a really short walk in from Tanglin Gate and there are buses to the nearest bus stop from Dhoby Ghaut MRT, opposite Park Mall.

You might want to look at the menu, which the enterprise has on their webpage as well. My friends and I visited the place on a weekday lunch time and it was close to Christmas (yes, this is a VERY delayed post). It was relatively crowded and we had some difficulty getting seats for a group of 7 of us. 

Ladies, if you're planning to visit this place, perhaps you might want to consider leaving out the tight dresses/skirts and heels. A large portion of the seating are canteen-styled with long tables and benches. Since you would have to help yourself to ordering the food from the counter and the plain water, cutlery, sauces, etc, you'll have to leave your seats quite a number of a time through the meal. 

They did have a couple of Christmas specials served during the period of time, but we went for the regular items they served. 

The Garlic Prawn and Red Capsicum Linguine was served at $16. While the pasta was cooked to al dente and the prawns served were fresh and succulent, we had to down quite a lot of water while having this dish because it was too salty for our liking. 

For $14, the Basil Almond Chicken Pesto Linguine carried the fragrance of Basil extremely well. The chicken bits were on the dry side and it felt like they were just boiled and tossed into the pasta, without absorbing any of the Pesto's essence.  The dish almost tasted like there was no salt in it at all and we had to 're-do' the dish by adding salt and tossing it ourselves. 

They serve all-day breakfast, which definitely attracted our attention given the  recent  'brunch fever' going around. We went for Full Works. For $18, this set includes Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Garlic Mushrooms, Chunky Chicken Sausage, Hash Brown, Toasted Brioche with Thyme Tomato Salad.  The scrambled eggs was made to perfection, and the mushrooms were filled with the fragrance of garlic. Tossed in butter, it laid slightly on the oily side, which made the meal even heavier than it already was. The hashbrowns (round balls on the right) were the best I've ever eaten. Deep fried, it was extremely crispy on the outside and perfectly soft and smooth on the inside. Again, the amount of oil in this meal makes it a lot heavier than one would imagine, so it might be a good idea to share the meal if you're not confident of downing this alone. 

This was one of the desserts featured in their Christmas Menu. Honestly I can't remember the name of this tart, but it was Mixed berries with some liquor in it. The tart was extremely well-made. The berries were slightly sweet and tangy at the same time, but not too much of both. The taste of the liquor made the dessert stand out because it felt like the fragrance of the berries spread in your palate and stayed on as an after taste. I hope they'd serve it again this Christmas!

The red velvet cake served was quite a disappointment. The cake lacked moisture, and the cream frosting did not seem to contain enough lemon to balance off the chocolatey flavour of the cake. 

The Bread pudding was served hot, and it looked extremely yummy. However, we were deceived by its looks. The pudding sat on the tough side, so beyond the top layer, it still took us a bit of effort to scoop from the dish. It lacked the milky fragrance that characterizes most bread puddings as well.

Overall, our dining experience at the restaurant wasn't as good as we expected it to be. However, reviews on websites like hungrygowhere.com were decently positive, so we thought it might be due to the lunch crowd that we ran into on our visit. Perhaps another visit would be made.